The next morning, Leonard Yan stood quietly in his bathroom with a phone discreetly tucked in his hands. He scrolled through the document his assistant had quietly sent the night before, his eyes scanning the few details about Sophie Lin. There wasn't much. Her background was almost empty—no gossip, no scandals, none of the usual drama that followed other heiresses.
The only thing that stood out was that she was George Lin's illegitimate daughter—a quiet detail in a family that cared deeply about image. She was brought into the Lin home only after her mother passed away due to illness and she had stayed in the background ever since. No public debut, no parties, no ambition for power. Just a girl who seemed content to stay out of the spotlight. Her school records were strong but not showy, and she kept a low profile. There were no rumors, no shady connections.
Everything about her seemed clean… too clean. Leonard narrowed his eyes. Leonard narrowed his eyes. He couldn't afford to be careless.
Why had she agreed to marry him? Was it really kindness… or was there something behind those calm, gentle smiles?
Until he found out, he'd play along—keeping his guard up and pretending to be the simple, harmless man everyone thought he was.
Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Sophie slowly woke up. She reached across the bed but felt only cool, empty sheets. Frowning slightly, she looked around, then stretched and got up. As she headed toward the bathroom, she nearly bumped into Leonard coming out.
He froze for a moment, quickly tucking his phone into his pants.
Sophie blinked in surprise, then smiled warmly, her face lighting up. "Good morning, Leonard," she said softly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
Leonard didn't answer right away. He glanced at her calm, sleepy face, then quickly looked away and pouted. "I'm hungry," he muttered, his voice carrying the childlike tone he'd grown used to using.
Sophie's expression softened even more. "You can go downstairs and have breakfast first," she said kindly, her tone full of gentle encouragement. "I'll freshen up and join you in a bit."
He glanced up at her again, and for a moment, something unspoken passed through his eyes. But then his pout turned into a wide, playful grin, all innocence. "Okay!" he said brightly, his mood shifting as he turned and cheerfully walked out of the room.
After washing up and changing into a light beige dress, Sophie made her way down to the dining hall of Yan Residence. The scent of freshly brewed tea and steamed dumplings greeted her as she entered the dining hall.
The whole Yan family was already seated around the long dining table, with servants moving quickly and quietly. Sophie gave a small, apologetic smile as she sat down next to Leonard. "Sorry I'm late," she said politely, smoothing her dress.
"Good morning, Sophie. It's alright," Madam Yan said with a warm, gentle smile from across the table. Her graceful presence was both kind and a little intimidating. "Did you sleep well last night?"
"Yes, I did," Sophie replied with a polite smile, though her mind briefly recalled how Leonard hiding under the covers last night and the strange flutter in her chest when sleeping next to him last night.
Just as Sophie reached for her chopsticks to take her first bite of the breakfast spread—steamed buns, porridge, pickled vegetables, and soft-boiled eggs—Victor Yan, Leonard's uncle, leaned back with a smirk on his face.
"So, Sophie," he said slowly, his eyes gleaming with amusement and contempt, "did Ethan touch you last night?"
His words hit like a slap. Sophie froze, her face flushing with heat. "N-Not yet…" she replied softly, barely above a whisper.
Victor let out a mocking laugh. "Hah! Looks like my nephew can't handle it. Should've figured." His tone was full of sarcasm, not just aimed at Leonard, but at the whole marriage—as if it were nothing than a joke to him.
Across the table, Leonard had been happily chewing on a bun, but suddenly stopped mid-bite. For a split second, something cold and sharp flashed in his eyes—then vanished.
His playful smile came back, but what he did next was far from childlike. In one quick motion, he grabbed another bun and threw it straight at Victor. It hit him right in the face, scattering crumbs all over his expensive suit.
"You—!" Victor sputtered, shocked, blinking fast as he wiped his face, his cheeks red with embarrassment and anger.
Before Victor could speak again, Grandfather Yan set down his cup with a quiet, firm clink. "Give Ethan some time," he said calmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Sophie, we're counting on you to give the Yan family an heir."
Sophie almost choked on her tea. She hadn't even been married a full day, and already the pressure to produce an heir had landed squarely on her shoulders.
She glanced at Leonard, who was calmly nibbling on a dumpling like he hadn't just thrown food at someone.
An heir? She hadn't even gotten him to fully accept her yet, let alone think about children. But deep down, she understood—if anything was going to happen between them, she would have to take the lead. The Yan family clearly wasn't going to wait forever.
"Sophie, take Ethan out for a walk today," Madam Yan suggested gently, reaching for her teacup. "It'll be good for you two to spend some time together and strengthen your bond."
Sophie nodded calmly, hiding the unease in her chest. "Of course, Mother," she said with a smile, though she wasn't sure how much bonding she and Leonard could really do in one trip. Still, if there was even a small chance to build trust, connection, or maybe even love, she was willing to try—one step at a time.
After breakfast, Sophie took Leonard for a walk in the estate's private park. Sophie held onto Leonard's arm, not just to keep him close but also out of a quiet, protective instinct. "Leonard, do you like going for walks?" she asked softly, hoping to ease him into a bit of conversation.
"I like it," he replied with a goofy grin, tilting his head back to gaze at the sky as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.
Sophie smiled at his innocent joy. "If you enjoy it, I'll take you out for walks every day," she promised, her voice full of warmth. They continued at a slow pace, her steps matching his, enjoying the calm that surrounded them. But just as Sophie began to relax, she heard an all-too-familiar voice behind her, sharp with curiosity.
"Sophie Lin?"
She froze instantly and turned to see Lina, her former collage classmate, standing near the entrance to the park. Dressed fashionably with a sleek handbag slung over her shoulder, Lina's eyes widened in recognition—and then narrowed in barely concealed surprise as she took in Sophie's appearance. "Well, well, I never thought I'd run into you here," Lina said, sauntering closer with a smirk playing on her lips. Her eyes then landed on Leonard, lingering for a beat too long. "And who's this?"
Sophie instinctively straightened her posture, her grip on Leonard's arm tightening. "He's my husband. We just got married," she said, her tone calm but firm.
Lina's jaw dropped, blinking as though she hadn't heard correctly. "You… got married? Are you serious?" Her surprise quickly turned into amusement, and her voice took on a teasing tone.
"Wait, wasn't Lucas Wei totally chasing after you back in college? You know, the student council president with the sports car?" She gave Leonard a once-over and raised a brow, clearly unimpressed. "And now you're married to… him?" Her voice dropped slightly as she added in a fake whisper, "He looks kinda… slow."
Sophie's nails pressed into Leonard's sleeve, her eyes hardening. "I never liked Lucas Wei," she said flatly. "My husband is the only person I care about. If there's nothing else, we'll be leaving."
She refused to let Lina talk down to Leonard—not even for a moment. Without saying a word, she turned and walked away, leading him with her head held high.
As they walked, Leonard, who had stayed unusually quiet, looked up at her with a small frown. "Who was that?" he asked, his voice curious and innocent.
"Just an old classmate," Sophie replied, brushing it off with a small sigh. "She's not important. You don't need to worry about her."
He blinked, thoughtful for a moment. "Just now… you said I'm the only person you care."
Sophie glanced at him, surprised by how clearly he remembered those words. "That's right," she said softly. "I only have you in my heart and mind, Leonard."
His lips pulled into a faint frown. "But… people say I'm a fool."
"You're not," Sophie said softly, kneeling a little to meet his eyes. "I told you before—you once saved me. You were a good person then, and you still are now."
"I don't remember," he mumbled, eyes flickering downward.
"That's okay," she whispered, brushing his hand with hers. "Even if you don't remember, we can take our time getting to know each other again. I'll wait for you."
Just as the moment began to settle into something unexpectedly tender, Leonard suddenly squirmed, tugging lightly on her sleeve. "Sophie," he said urgently, "I need to pee."
Sophie blinked, then laughed softly, the tension dissolving into amusement at his innocent tone.
"Alright," she said with a warm chuckle, "hold on. I'll take you home." Without hesitation, she took his hand, guiding him gently but quickly back through the winding paths of the garden.